UKIP has defended a senior party official who placed an advert in a local paper saying women should stay at home and "cash-strapped Moslems" should have multiple wives.

David Challice, an activist in Exeter, also hit out at the "lunacy of multiculturalism" and described Greeks as "vile".

The comments were made in an advert in the Exeter Express and Echo newspaper and in his book.

He was also critical of multiculturalism in YouTube footage, during which he took several sips from a wine glass.

But despite his outspoken views Mr Challice is being backed by the party, which said in a statement: "UKIP is not a party that believes in public debate and conversation being stifled by an obsession with political correctness.

"So the threshold for which the mere expression of opinion merits disciplinary action should be set high.

"That threshold was quite obviously breached in yesterday's furore but it is has certainly not been today.

"Indeed, there are quite legitimate public concerns about the interaction of the benefits system with men who have multiple wives and these have been widely aired in the media."

The party also said his remarks about women were intended as a joke and he had taken the comments about Greeks from another author.

UKIP, which recently launched its campaign for the European elections, has been at the centre of a series of controversies

On Thursday, it was forced to suspend a member who appeared in the party's latest election broadcast, after allegedly expressing "repellent views" on Twitter.

Andre Lampitt apparently posted racist and anti-Islamic tweets as well as inappropriate remarks about Labour leader Ed Miliband on the microblogging site.

Mr Lampitt's Twitter account was also suspended.

UKIP also sought to dismiss criticism after it emerged it has used an an Irish actor in a poster about the impact of immigration on British jobs.